Abstract

This paper touches upon the foreign direct investment FDI policy pursued in the EU in the aftermath of the 2008 crisis and at a time of profound changes amidst fears of a return to economic protectionism the growing popularity of reindustrialisation the shift of FDI-policy-making from the national to the EU level controversies surrounding the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and an influx of Chinese capital By means of a critical literature review and expert consultations I diagnosed the approaches towards incoming and out flowing FDI that are dominant in the EU A less friendly political rhetoric has failed to produce concrete changes in FDI policies The added value provided by the study lies in having assessed trends in the EU s post crisis FDI policy without preselecting a focus on specific states The most popular approach appears to be the capital-based model favouring inflows of new investors while selectively rather than specifically stimulating outgoing FDI